Former Tesco chairman gives an interview to shock all who believe in innocent ... trends now

Former Tesco chairman gives an interview to shock all who believe in innocent ... trends now
Former Tesco chairman gives an interview to shock all who believe in innocent ... trends now

Former Tesco chairman gives an interview to shock all who believe in innocent ... trends now

John Allan, one of the country's most prominent business leaders, is a mild-mannered man; cool in a crisis, not prone to effusive outbursts of emotion.

Long-married and a devoted grandfather, he has a comfortable air of dependability: you could not imagine feeling threatened by his brand of measured geniality.

Yet next month he steps down prematurely as chair of Tesco — a role he has held, with distinction, for eight years — because the supermarket chain has insisted he leave his post early after four women made allegations about his personal conduct.

On Tuesday housebuilder Barratt followed suit, announcing Mr Allan's early departure as its chair and arguing that his alleged behaviour could be 'disruptive' to the company.

Why such a clamour to be rid of the talented Mr Allan? Barratt and Tesco's decisions are based on three anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations — all of which he vehemently denies — that, according to the supermarket, 'risk becoming a distraction'.

Next month John Allan steps down prematurely as chair of Tesco — a role he has held, with distinction, for eight years

Next month John Allan steps down prematurely as chair of Tesco — a role he has held, with distinction, for eight years

Tesco has insisted he leave his post early after four women made allegations about his personal conduct

Tesco has insisted he leave his post early after four women made allegations about his personal conduct

Mr Allan does admit to a 'misjudged' comment. At a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in 2019, when he was president of the lobbying group, he complimented a female colleague on her appearance. He has apologised wholeheartedly for the offence caused.

'This is the only allegation that has any truth in it,' he says, speaking to the Mail. 'I saw the woman; she'd been working really hard and looked a bit down in the mouth, and I intended to cheer her up.

'I remarked that her dress, 'really suits your figure'. I think she took exception to the reference to her figure, which, with the benefit of hindsight, I accept.'

The woman did not say anything to him on the spot, although she was apparently so upset she went home for the rest of the day. She complained to a senior manager, who told Carolyn Fairbairn (then the CBI's director-general.)

Ms Fairbairn viewed the remark as not sexualised but rather as a 'clumsy and insensitive attempt at a compliment by a man from an older generation'.

'I agreed to meet the woman and apologised unreservedly within 24 hours,' says Mr Allan. 'The woman said she was entirely satisfied with my apology. She was perfectly within her rights to raise the complaint. Yet now, four years after the event, it is still being resurrected and you might question 'why?'

'It is very easy to get paranoid. Some people have suggested there is a conspiracy to bring down the CBI and I am collateral damage.'

The lobby group that represents 190,000 British businesses has currently suspended all public engagements after a slew of complaints against senior members and hired a law firm to investigate.

At a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in 2019, when he was president of the lobbying group, Mr Allan complimented a female colleague on her appearance

At a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in 2019, when he was president of the lobbying group, Mr Allan complimented a female colleague on her appearance

'Other friends have suggested someone is out to get me, but I have no evidence that either is the case. I don't tend to think everything is a result of a conspiracy.'

Aside from that single ill-judged compliment, Mr Allan categorically refutes all three other allegations. One is that, at a CBI event in 2019, he touched a woman's bottom. He says: 'I was hosting Philip Hammond, who was Chancellor at the time, and I was pretty occupied looking after him.

'I'm not someone who lingers for drinks — I hardly drink at all. I tend to get home promptly. I absolutely deny that I did anything I shouldn't have done.'

He goes on: 'Fast forward to 2021 and another CBI event where apparently I said something to a woman who was mortally offended by it and it was overheard by another woman.'

The allegation is that he remarked of a woman's dress that it was, 'making it hard to concentrate on anything else'. But Mr Allan insists he could not possibly have made the comment, as he wasn't even there.

'I asked my PA to examine my computerised diary for 2021 and I didn't attend a single CBI event that year, so that just cannot be true. We can stand that one up.'

The allegation is that Mr Allan remarked of a woman¿s dress that it was, ¿making it hard to concentrate on anything else¿

The allegation is that Mr Allan remarked of a woman's dress that it was, 'making it hard to concentrate on anything else'

The final event was the Tesco AGM in June 2022, at which it was alleged Mr Allan 'patted a woman on the bottom'.

'Tesco has made exhaustive inquiries about this,' he says. 'They have contacted every woman — including past employees — who attended and examined CCTV footage. No one has complained openly and an anonymous whistleblowing line has not produced a dicky bird. I am innocent of that and I think Tesco can prove it.'

Even so, the supermarket and Barratt are treating Mr Allan like a pariah. 'I think both companies felt under a lot of pressure to do something. You have to be seen to be taking action. I suggested to Tesco: why not investigate all the allegations and I'll step aside temporarily while you do?

'But Tesco said they would investigate the specific complaint that related to them and asked me to stand down in June and not put myself up for re-election at the next AGM.

'I was not happy but I had no alternative. I like to think if I had been conducting discussions about another member of the board we might have come to a different conclusion.'

The final event was the Tesco AGM in June 2022, at which it was alleged Mr Allan ¿patted a woman on the bottom¿

The final event was the Tesco AGM in June 2022, at which it was alleged Mr Allan 'patted a woman on the bottom'

The presumption of innocence unless proven guilty — the cornerstone of British justice — does not, it seems, apply in his case.

'I do think it would be good if businesses were a little bit more robust with 'innocent until proven guilty',' he says, without rancour. 'We have to find a solution as to what happens when people make these kinds of allegations.

'You will form your own view of whether it was actually necessary for me to step down early from Barratt given that I have never been accused of doing anything untoward there.

'My performance has been highly rated every time we've had an internal or external evaluation.'

He first heard about the allegations when the Guardian newspaper — the witch-finder in chief of the chilling cancel culture sweeping Britain — emailed him this month, announcing at short notice that they intended to run a story about complaints against him.

The 74-year-old is also accused of 'grabbing' a woman at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual dinner in May 2019 when he was its president. He's pictured with former PM Boris Johnson at a CBI conference that same year

The 74-year-old is also accused of 'grabbing' a woman at the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) annual dinner in May 2019 when he was its president. He's pictured with former PM Boris Johnson at a CBI conference that same year 

This followed the firing of Tony Danker from his post as the CBI's director-general for 'conduct that fell short of that expected'. Mr Danker said that many of the charges against him had been distorted but apologised for making colleagues feel uncomfortable.

When Mr Allan found himself embroiled in the furore he was 'flabbergasted'. 'My first reaction was, 'Where on earth have they got this from? It doesn't bear any relation to reality or the truth. Surely they can't be serious.'

There has been collective outrage on his behalf: his entire family has rallied behind him; friends and colleagues, many of them women, have deluged him with more than 100 supportive emails. 'Typically they've said, 'My heart goes out to you. In all the years we've known each other you have never been anything but respectful, supportive and kind.'

Indeed, Karen Guerra, a non-executive director at British American Tobacco, wrote to a Sunday newspaper

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